Former reserve officer sentenced to 20 years for statutory rape

A former reserve Columbus police officer was sentenced to 20 years in the state prison this morning at the Lowndes County Courthouse after pleading guilty to statutory rape last week.

Richard Carr, 46, admitted he had sex with his girlfriend''s 15-year-old daughter when the girl was 13 and 14 and her mother was at work.

Sixteenth Circuit Court Judge Jim Kitchens could have given Carr up to life in prison, but decided to give the near-minimum sentence.

Besides serving his time without eligibility of parole, Carr must pay court costs, endure five years of post-release supervision, register as a sex offender and cannot be alone with anyone under age 16.

Carr''s family members declined to comment on the guilty plea or the sentence.

Carr, a 14-year reserve officer, was arrested in Oktibbeha County in 2009 after the victim confessed to her mother that she and Carr had sex "various times," according to the indictment.

The encounters happened at his girlfriend''s Columbus house while he was baby-sitting the girl and her siblings, the indictment said.

Reader Comments

court watch commented at 8/31/2010 2:40:00 PM:

Ryan, your story is not entirely accurate. Kitchens sentenced Carr to 25 years on each count and not 20. He suspended five of the 25 years and Carr will have to have serve 20 years. I suppose if Carr lives 20 years in prison without parole then he will be on post-release probation for 5 years. The sentences are concurrent. Life for Mr. Carr at his current age based on his life expectancy would amount to a 26 year sentence based upon the mortality tables for a black male aged 46. So his sentence was near the max that a judge could give. A jury could give a life sentence not a judge on this crime. On the second count the most the judge could give is 30 years. So both sentences were near the max for the crimes and for the age of the defendant.

ohh my commented at 8/31/2010 3:52:00 PM:

This is a sad case. I thought parents were supposed to protect kids, this includes stepparents. Why are people hurting kids like this. They may look like adults; they are just babies.

neverwrong commented at 8/31/2010 4:41:00 PM:

If he ever took another breath outside prison walls, that would not be enough punishment for what he's done. I hope Bubba gives him a little what for up in prison.

rosewood commented at 9/1/2010 7:14:00 AM:

How can anybody think this is right? Don't have to worry though as you can commit any crime and get off. Example is Jim Terry.He is on house arrest. Yep that is right the guy isn't spending his time in prison he is a free man simply on house arrest. His buddies in the political arena got him out. How does this happen?

court watch commented at 9/1/2010 10:40:00 AM:

Rosewood, you are right. Jim Terry only served 2 weeks on a 13 month sentence and is on house arrest. However, by law all sex offenders, armed robbers and habitual offenders must serve all of their sentence. EVERYONE ELSE is serving LESS THAN 20% of their sentence. In other words when someone gets 30 years for selling cocaine six times on our streets, the parole board WILL LET them out in about six years. So 30 really means 6. Criminals are required to serve 25% of their sentence and then they get 30 days off their sentence for every 30 days they serve. Its called "good time." Check at the Courthouse if you do not believe me. MDOC is turning prisoners loose everyday and they are not serving a fourth of their sentences.

dsl2 commented at 9/1/2010 3:26:00 PM:

The MDOC does not just go around handing out get out of jail free cards. Your math is somewhat flawed court watch. The MDOC does have a 30 for 30 but that is based on their behavior in prison and days worked. For everyday you put into working at the prison you get a day taken off your sentence. It is called "good time" or good behavior.The MDOC passes out RVR's for rule violations. A RVR can be given for fighting to not having your shirt tucked in. For every RVR more time is given. So it all depends on ones actions once they have been sentenced. Also the 30 for 30 is only available to non violent crimes that do not carry mandatory sentencing.

Here is the MDOC parole page:http://www.mpb.state.ms.us/Parole%20Board%20Parole.htm

court watch commented at 9/1/2010 3:36:00 PM:

Dsl2. How is my math flawed. All offenders who are not sex offenders or armed robbers or habitual offenders are serving 25% of any sentence given to them by the judge. So on a four year sentence they serve one year and then get that sentence cut by half if they behave or work in prison. So a four year sentence means six months if they behave and have their shirts tucked in. Is that why Mr. Smith was able to get out three years early and murder Ms Snell this weekend? After all, he was ordered to serve five years in prison on August 28, 2008. He allegedly murdered Ms Snell this weekend. My how that five years passed. Wait, it did not pass. MDOC let him out early and it now appears he has murdered a woman. You reckon you will revoke his parole?

dsl2 commented at 9/1/2010 5:21:00 PM:

CW- I do not know anything about Mr. Smith or his previous conviction. However I can tell by a five year sentence Mr. Smith was not convicted for a violet crime. I am not sure when he was released but at 25% he was eligible for parole in Nov. 28, 2009. It is sad that, if guilty, Mr. Smith chose to take someones life.

A prisoner does not get 30 for 30 while they are serving there 25%. That is where your math is wrong. One can become eligible for 30 for 30 only after being denied parole after serving there 25%. Once again please look at the MDOC Parole link I included to read the regulations for parole.